Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a leading biotech company, has announced that Dr. David Altshuler, its Chief Scientific Officer, will retire on August 1, 2026. Dr. Altshuler, a respected geneticist, has played a major role in shaping the company’s research strategy over the past decade. He will be succeeded by Mark Bunnage, who has worked closely with Dr. Altshuler and currently leads Vertex’s discovery research. Dr. Altshuler joined Vertex in 2015 after the company faced setbacks in its hepatitis C business. Under his leadership, Vertex expanded beyond cystic fibrosis treatments and developed groundbreaking therapies, including the first CRISPR-based gene-editing treatment for blood disorders and a new non-opioid pain medication. While Vertex has grown significantly, the company is still working to establish another major drug franchise beyond cystic fibrosis. The transition reflects a planned leadership change to ensure continued innovation in drug development.